Functional Dry Needling or Intramuscular Stimulation (IMS) is an advanced needling technique that focuses on using needles to release tension, tightness, and trigger points in muscles. A small filament needle is inserted into the muscle eliciting a small twitch response and then relaxing the muscle. The twitch response acts to “reboot” the muscle to help improve muscular function, increase blood flow, and normalize the nervous system.

Benefits

Dry needling or IMS is an effective treatment for acute and chronic pain, rehabilitation from injury, and even pain and injury prevention.

What to expect

Most patients will not even feel the needle penetrate the skin, but once it advances into the muscle, the discomfort can vary from patient to patient. Usually a healthy muscle feels very little discomfort upon insertion of the needle; however, if the muscle is sensitive and shortened or contains active trigger points, the subject may feel a sensation much like a muscle cramp, often referred to as a ‘twitch response”. Many patients experience dramatic pain relief and improved function in just a few treatments.

Training

Dr. Janzen is certified in Functional Integrated Needling (dry needling) through the Functional Integrated Therapy Institute as well as Functional Dry Needling (IMS) through Kinetacore. He completed the necessary training hours and passed both a written and practical examination to meet the World Health Organizations standard for practicing Acupuncture. Dr. Janzen’s Acupuncture training was taken through the Acupuncture Foundation of Canada Institute.

Dr. Andrew Janzen, BSc., DC

Dr. AndrewJanzen, BSc., DC

Andrew's Chiropractic practice focuses on treating musculoskeletal conditions such as back and neck pain. He believes in treating the problematic condition quickly and educating patients in measures to prevent reoccurrences. He has taken extra training in laser therapy to treat sport and joint injuries, and orthotic therapy for foot conditions. Dr. Janzen has also completed his Medical Acupuncture and Trigger Point Dry Needling certification. These modalities allow him to treat a wider variety of painful muscle and joint conditions.